“Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.”
Psalm 1:1-2
hugs n’ blessings given from morning till night!
Today is the Feast Day of my gal-pal, St. Faustina!!!!
(aka: Helen Kowalska before taking her vows as a Sister of Our Lady of Mercy!)
And oh, how I love her!❤️
In 2014 as I began reading St. Faustina’s personal Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, I had no idea the spiritual growth I would experience from the written experience of her life-lived out. But today I lift up prayers of gratitude for all I have gained through her example! God has moved me forward, in many aspects, as He clarified for me during that time spent reading her Diary, what it means to love beyond measure…regardless of the burdens or sorrows that may come. She continues to guide me and remind me that everyone deserves mercy!
I will always be grateful for this gift and the immense peace which has remained in my heart as a result.
Our Parish priest, Fr Larry Richards, has taught us a wonderful way of incorporating scripture into our daily lives. We have learned from him:
“No Bible, no breakfast! No Bible, no bed!”
This morning I decided to do my “breakfast portion” of Scripture in our Chapel prior to Morning Mass. And since it is a day all about her, I invited my gal-pal St. Faustina to be with me as I invoked the Holy Spirit; hoping she’d nudge Him in a direction that was merciful!
“Speak to me Your Word, Oh Lord, that I may know you, love you, and serve You.”
And (as I’d hoped in my heart) St Faustina, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, (I believe) nudged Him in a kind & gentle direction; affirming what has been (being) revealed to me for quite some time. As I randomly broke open the Word this is where He rested my eyes:
Lamentations 3: 55-62 & 24 “I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for help!” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life. Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me; you will judge my cause! You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me. Lord, you have heard their insults, all their devices against me—what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. …”The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.“”
A grateful giggle bubbled up inside me because of course St. Faustina would know the words I would rejoice over in celebration of this day for her! This restful heart He has been strengthening in me, she too found rest in these words as others mocked, judged & spoke poorly of her. And this is why she is so close to my heart! Her courage, to follow the ways of her Lord, despite the suffering she endured, has shone a light on my own humble attempts to love others despite what is returned to me. And to pray always for a conversion of heart; especially for those in need of the grace to love unconditionally in return.
Thank you St. Faustina!
For giving abundantly to me, through your example, with each reminder of what it means to place our trust in Him!
Enough thanksgiving from me…now it’s ALL ABOUT Helen!
When this saint was born in Poland on August 25, 1905, her parents named her Helen.
In her short life on earth, she carried out the important mission of teaching the world about the mercy of Jesus. From the time she was seven years old, Helen knew she wanted to live a life consecrated to God as a sister. When she was twenty-five, she entered the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, taking the name Sister Faustina.
Her work was simple. She cooked, tended the convent garden, and answered the door. Her kindness, serenity, and spirit of recollection were remarkable. But few people knew the real depths of her spirituality. God blessed Sister Faustina with many extraordinary gifts, including visions, prophecy, and invisible stigmata.
In one of the visions Sister Faustina had, Jesus appeared in a white garment. He raised one hand in blessing and touched his heart with the other. Two rays of light, one red, the other pale, spread out from his heart. The red ray represented the saving blood of Christ; the pale ray stood for the cleansing water of Baptism. Jesus said, “Have an image painted just as you see me, with the words ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’” Jesus told Sister Faustina that the Sunday after Easter was to be the Feast of Divine Mercy.
Sister Faustina kept a diary in which she wrote down everything that Jesus wanted the world to know about his mercy. In it, she wrote about prayer as a loving relationship with
God. Jesus told her that she was his secretary. It was her special work to encourage people to trust in the limitless mercy of God.
Jesus promised forgiveness and abundant graces to anyone who would honor the Feast of Divine Mercy. Devotion to Divine Mercy consists in trusting in God’s goodness, loving one’s neighbor, remaining in the state of grace with the help of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and receiving Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday.
After only thirteen years of religious life, Sister Faustina died of tuberculosis on October 5, 1938. She was thirty-three years old. Pope John Paul II declared her a saint on April 30, 2000.
Jesus told St. Maria Faustina, “I expect you to show mercy always and everywhere. You cannot excuse yourself from this.”
The best way to show that we trust in the mercy of Jesus is to be merciful and forgiving to the people who hurt us.
Are we willing to do this?
hugs n’ blessings to all those who love enough…to forgive!
I’m still suffering from a Pope-Hangover.
For five days we immersed ourselves in all things “Papa” and “Faith.”
But now life is glossed-over. A clear-film of joy covers over each day.
And I feel this is a very good thing!
I am enjoying this somewhat detached manner of living from the chaos the world often has to offer. The problems in my life are still present, yet somehow they are no longer problems; but rather simply…difficulties. And those are much more manageable, don’t you think?
This transition from problem to difficulty came through my visit to the Mary, Undoer of Knots Grotto established for Pope Francis’ participation in The World Meeting of Families. (Be sure to see the Pope’s visit to this lovely Groto on his final travels through the streets of Philadelphia on their web-site!)
A wonderful tribute, not only to this beautiful devotion to the Blessed Mother, Mary who was the undoer of the sin of Eve;
“Eve, by her disobedience, tied the knot of disgrace for the human race; whereas Mary, by her obedience, undid it.”
but also to bring awareness to hunger & homelessness in America.
But what are these knots? They are the problems and struggles we face for which we do not see any solution. Throughout time and across all cultures, a knot has been used to symbolize tension and struggle. The undoing of a knot symbolizes freedom from these burdens – a release of pressure. In the tradition of Mary, Undoer of Knots, Pope Francis’ favorite artwork, visitors of the grotto were able to add or remove knots, symbolizing their personal struggles and sharing the burdens of others.
And I know from the power of prayer & personal experience, many pilgrims returned home with knot as many problems…anymore.
“Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the Evil One himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands, there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with your Son and my liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot. (Mention your petition here.)
I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, O safe refuge.”
hugs n’ blessings to all who trust their knots to be undone.
hugsnblessings 